New signing scores, Man City puts one foot in the Carabao Cup final

Match result - Two goals from the new duo helped Man City comfortably defeat Newcastle at St James’ Park in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.

Both teams started cautiously but there were notable moments. The home side Newcastle created clearer chances early on with shots from Yoane Wissa and Joelinton, though accuracy was lacking. On the other hand, Man City maintained better ball control, launching several wing attacks powered by Doku’s speed and Bernardo Silva’s playmaking, but attempts from Phil Foden and Nathan Aké were blocked by Newcastle’s defense.

In the second half, the game opened up more. Early on, Newcastle caused trouble with a close-range header from Wissa and a shot by Bruno Guimaraes that hit the post, forcing goalkeeper James Trafford into action. However, before the home team could capitalize, Man City demonstrated timely composure. In the 53rd minute, from a close-range combination, new signing Antoine Semenyo neatly finished to put the visitors ahead following an assist from Bernardo Silva.

After conceding, the home team pushed forward to equalize, while Man City controlled the tempo. Although Semenyo found the net a second time, the goal was disallowed for offside after VAR review. The final minutes saw intense pressure from Newcastle, but Man City’s defense held firm.

As the match entered stoppage time, the visitors struck the decisive blow. In the 90+8th minute, Rayan Cherki exploited space inside the box and scored precisely with his left foot to seal a 2-0 victory.

This result gives the squad of Pep Guardiola a significant advantage ahead of the second leg at home scheduled for February 5th.